Roast this DIY Canister filter idea!

Minnesota Mike · Jan 9, 2020

Has anyone in here ever tried the DIY canister filter out of a 5 gallon pail???...I want to try this with the lava rock and a bunch of activated carbon granules in filter socks and also fleece sheets and fine filter pads.
I have my FX4 so this would be a secondary filter and not my main, I do plan on a sump and skimmer and the whole 9 yards in the future but right now this is what my wallet is allowing with a canister filtration.
Saw this idea on YouTube and am just wondering if its legit to use.
Thanks for the feedback

79chopperdr · Jan 9, 2020

#Sendit There is a thread on another reef forum titled "Ghetto Rig" It's equal parts hilarious and ingenious. Many DIY options might not be as aesthetically pleasing but are functional.

reefwiser · Jan 9, 2020

I had one 30 years ago.
An if you search YouTube it’s a popular video idea.

Minnesota Mike · Jan 9, 2020

Yeah that's the one I watched of it but will just add more filtration to it

lmm1967 · Jan 9, 2020

I've done similar with a bucket inside a buckets (tons of holes drilled in inner bucket) and a bunch of those plastic pot scrubber things as media on a freshwater setup I had. It worked great and on a budget I'd do it again. I preferred the pump be internal rather than external.

Webslinger · Jan 9, 2020

sump is an easier way to go

Thub · Jan 9, 2020

I think a sump built around a rubbermaid container is a better, more easily maintained setup as long as the tank already has an overflow.

Webslinger · Jan 9, 2020

any sump is better that a 5 gallon bucket. For freshwater this would work, but not so much in saltwater setups.

Thub · Jan 9, 2020

Webslinger said:
any sump is better that a 5 gallon bucket. For freshwater this would work, but not so much in saltwater setups.

Agreed. For my 125g african cichlid tank, I run a fluval FX6, which is a 5 gallon bucket with a pump mount and some feet to mount it on. Maintenance is hell, because to do anything, I have to extricate that heavy monstrosity out from under the tank, so I do weekly 50% water changes as a means of nutrient export, and clean the filter pads probably a tenth as often as I should. Not buying a drilled tank and running a sump is my biggest regret on that tank.

Minnesota Mike · Jan 9, 2020

Do you have to have a tank drilled to run a sump?

Jon Fishman · Jan 9, 2020

Minnesota Mike said:
Do you have to have a tank drilled to run a sump?

No. My old 75 wasn’t drilled. Hang on back overflow and run a return line up/over and you’re done

Reef-junky · Jan 9, 2020

Honestly it’s more work then what it’s worth. Yes it will work but if you don’t keep it clean you will have problems.

Bigtrout · Jan 10, 2020

Im converting my freshwater75 to a sump because even the sunsun 304 is a major pain in the butt to haul out and clean...and in winter its worse because I have to clean it in the tub.

So for me a 5 gallon bucket would be as bad as a sunsun.

SeaDweller · Jan 10, 2020

don't use lava rock, it can potentially leach bad stuff.

halvenator · Jan 10, 2020

1$ gallon at Petco right now. Why not pick up an aquarium and DIY a sump?

Reef-junky · Jan 10, 2020

SeaDweller said:
don't use lava rock, it can potentially leach bad stuff.

Really depends on the rock. I had a 27gal with lava rock with no issues.

Bigtrout · Jan 10, 2020

halvenator said:
1$ gallon at Petco right now. Why not pick up an aquarium and DIY a sump?

THIS!!!

BornHandy · Jan 14, 2020

Wait, do you really want us to roast the filter?

If so, I say go ahead. At least you'll have the bucket to puke in when you look at the nitrate fueled swamp in a box it'll grow for you!

Just kidding, but seriously, spend the time making a sump instead. Drilling glass is easier than you think it is, and a sump opens so many doors. If drilling just isn't in the cards, overflow boxes can work so long as you keep an eye on the siphon.

Oh, and start a build thread. I love looking at other people's tanks!

Minnesota Mike · Jan 15, 2020

I know the sump is the way to go with a saltwater aquarium and that is my plan in the future as in 5-8 months down the road. I ordered a Protein skimmer but ordered the wrong which was the Reef Octopus 100 when I meant to order the 1000 so I didn't have to look at the pump inside of my aquarium (100 has a internal pump and the 1000 is external).
The bucket idea was to get my water prestin with it being filled with carbon and polyester filtering for the fine product and the lava rock is 100% natural and not dyed at all. Purely a secondary option for getting my water clear.
Sump will soon to come

Thub · Jan 15, 2020

Minnesota Mike said:
I know the sump is the way to go with a saltwater aquarium and that is my plan in the future as in 5-8 months down the road. I ordered a Protein skimmer but ordered the wrong which was the Reef Octopus 100 when I meant to order the 1000 so I didn't have to look at the pump inside of my aquarium (100 has a internal pump and the 1000 is external).
The bucket idea was to get my water prestin with it being filled with carbon and polyester filtering for the fine product and the lava rock is 100% natural and not dyed at all. Purely a secondary option for getting my water clear.
Sump will soon to come

The lava rock being 100% natural is kind of the problem. "Lava rock" isn't an element, it's a mixture of elements and molecules, some of which are invariably soluble in water, and will thus leech into the tank water, potentially causing trouble that's easily avoided by using stuff that's meant for aquariums, rather than for lining walkways.
As for the canister design itself, it's generally doing exactly the opposite of nutrient export, and will cause nitrates to rise fast if it's not serviced a lot- like multiple times per week. That works for freshwater, because big water changes can cheaply serve as your nutrient export method. In my FW 125 gallon, a 50% change is like 2 cents. In saltwater, that would be $23 if you use cheap salt.
The canister filter can work, but it's a much worse idea than doing a sump, and a DIY sump, even if you run a DIY HOB overflow isn't that hard. Yes, you'll save money by using a bucket, but that falls well into the "bad cheap" column, where a DIY sump can very easily fall into the "good cheap" column.